American Imperialism 1890s - 1917 The New Manifest Destiny?

Comparison to Old Manifest Destiny Similarities: It was the destiny of America to expand America would spread democracy and Christianity

Comparison to Old Manifest Destiny Differences: Acquired islands that were already densely populated There was little desire to make the new possessions into new states The islands were important for defense, trade, and international prestige

Causes of New Manifest Destiny To distract voters from domestic issues The need for natural resources and new markets for the industrial revolution The western frontier was “closing” International naval competition Social Darwinism “White man’s burden”

Advocates (Supporters) Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Sec. of State John Hay Teddy Roosevelt (asst. sec. of the navy, VP, and pres.) Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan, The Influence of Seapower Upon History

Anti-Imperialists William Jennings Bryan (moral grounds) Mark Twain (not democratic) Andrew Carnegie (increased competition) Nativists & Xenophobia (“inferior” Asian races)

Early Imperialist Actions

President Cleveland’s 2nd term 1893: U.S. backed the overthrow of Hawaiian Queen Liliukalani; Pearl Harbor was a U.S. naval port and U.S. citizens had already developed a sugar industry there so they helped stage the revolution; official U.S. territory in 1900 1895: U.S. supported Venezuela in its boundary dispute with British Guiana; U.S. even threatened to go to war with Britain; U.S, invoked the ___________ Doctrine

President McKinley’s Administration 1898: The Spanish American War…details to follow!

1898:The Open Door Policy issued by McKinley was designed to allow the U.S. to trade freely with the Chinese without fear of European interference   1899:The Samoan islands became a protectorate under the divided control of the U.S. and Germany after a long dispute that also involved Britain 1900:The Boxer Rebellion was a Chinese nationalist revolt against foreigners; required multinational force to rescue diplomats trapped in Peking